Category: Best Cities to Retire

There are basically some things to consider when you are about to retire, one of which is the best place to retire. Check the place and make sure that all of the amenities that you need in order to sustain a comfortable life are present.

Also another primary thing to check is the security of the place; you can ask some locals who eventually stayed in the place for a long time to give you information about the security of the place.

Visit the location more than once. You will never get to hold of the atmosphere if you only visit once, most likely you have to visit the place at least 3 or more times before deciding to move in.

Also check the cities, provinces and metropolitan areas to decide on where to live. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to live there by just pinpointing on the map where to lure.

Learn more of the area by researching, browsing the web, reading comments and suggestions from blogs, travel and leisure guides and other useful resources that will make you up to date and informed of the place.

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If your reason for moving to another place for retirement is to pursue a hobby, then it is a good thing to consider but it should not be the only thing to consider because you are going to live there in the place and your not there for just a 3 day vacation. Be careful in selecting the place to move in because if you move in, you might lose some of the things that you have at least enjoyed in your old neighborhood, or the old place where you live is a proximal place for your relatives for gatherings and special events.

These are only few of the things you should consider when you want to move in another place to retire. It takes real time and consideration for this decision before finalizing it. Here are some places that are considered like Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania and Kansas.

Choosing the best retirement community is one of the most important decisions you will make. There are some very relevant things you need to consider before you choose your new residence.

Here are five important things to look for when shopping around for a retirement community:

1. Environment

When asking yourself what environment you would prefer to live in, you need to determine the impact of climate, access to transport and resources, local culture and the type of home and immediate surroundings. You should also inquire about the number of security personnel that are on patrol 24 hours a day.

2. Cost

Aside from the buy in cost of your retirement home you will also be charged for the community amenities. You need to be clear about what the ongoing fees are as well as any specific charges for additional services or programs. Make sure you understand what services the base price includes, and if fixed costs are set to increase annually, then the contract should state the percentage at which the increases will be calculated.

3. Amenities

The best retirement community will give residents access to a range of facilities like a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, golf course, and games room as well as to different services.

4. Housing

Would you prefer to live in a stand alone house or a small apartment? Different retirement villages offer different types of retirement homes and you need to be clear on what sort of housing you would prefer. If you havent lived in an apartment before, choosing to do so in retirement could be a mistake as you will hear sounds through walls and ceilings that you are unused to.

5. Services

Even if you’re in good health, consider choosing a retirement community that has an on call medical and nursing support as well as health care services such as bathing assistance and medication reminders.
Does the facility maintain the grounds around your accommodation or do you have to do it? If they maintain the lawns and gardens will they allow you to do as much maintenance personally as you wish?

If you ask the right questions, you will be able to obtain the necessary information to choose a retirement community you can enjoy for many years to come and avoid the many possible pitfalls innocent retirees can stumble into.

With the sub-prime mortgage affecting homeowners and home sales, it may or may not be a good time to buy a home. However, when the housing market begins to level off, you may wish to consider the following cities that are cited as the best places to buy a home to retire:

* Wichita, Kansas. With a median home price of $157,000, this city has been listed as one of the most affordable cities to buy a home.

* Omaha, Nebraska. With home sales averaging $226,000, this city has a low unemployment rate.

* Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This city offers homes for $226,000 as well, and is located east of Philadelphia. Rich in history and cultural diversity, this may be an excellent choice. Moreover, its about four hours from New York City.

* Madison, Wisconsin. With a price range of $266,000, Madison has a beautiful landscape and is a friendly city. With its many museums, among them the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum, this is one place you can truly call home.

* San Antonio, Texas. This city has home sales averaging $172,000. It is filled with historic sites such as the Alamo, and the people here are warm and friendly as well.

* Indianapolis, Indiana. Median home prices average $166,000. Home to the well-known pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, Indianapolis is also home to the Indy 500, the National Football Leagues Colts, and has a diverse culture as well.

* Pittsburgh, Pa. The home prices here average $149,000. It is most affordable for retirees. Home to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it is known for its friendly people and holds its values and traditions close to the heart. This is a great city for families.

* Dallas, Texas. At a median price of $205,000, Dallas has the most jobs and housing of all the cities listed.

* Tulsa, Oklahoma. For $158,000, you can buy a fantastic home in Tulsa. It has a booming economy due to the energy industry, and is a beautiful place to live with its parks, historic sites, and gardens. Touted as a great place to raise a family, Tulsa is very affordable in todays housing market.

If you are considering buying a home that is in foreclosure, take some time and research this method. Buying a home in foreclosure can create more problems than necessary. As stated earlier, it may be a good idea to give the housing market time to settle down. In the meanwhile, you can research the aforementioned cities in depth to determine if they are right for you and your family.

This special report will highlight some of the best places to spend the rest of your days in happiness.

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The reports for each bargain retirement location includes important factors to weigh when selecting where to retire such as:

The cost of living

Climate

Medical care

Local attractions

Available housing and costs

Recreation

Services just for seniors

Education resources

Transportation

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TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA
Florida has many fine places to spend a restful retirement.

But if you don’t define retirement as golf, white belts and canasta, then Tampa Bay is the place to go to kick-start a second (or third) act.

Says Katee Tully, a recent transplant to the area: “This is a rich, fertile place for people who are reinventing themselves.”

A former associate dean of continuing education at the City University of New York, she’s now on the board of The Studio@620, a community performing-arts center.

Deb Talbot, 56, a former Chase executive in New York, is now well connected in Tampa Bay.

Says Talbot: “I wasn’t ready for typical volunteer efforts.

She quickly arranged to consult for the Tampa Museum of Art, and she works with the Academy for Senior Professionals at Eckerd College, which connects retired professionals with art, literacy and charity groups.

Tampa and Clearwater are surrounded by water and subdivisions.

St. Petersburg has perhaps the best mix of good living, arts, culture and entrepreneurship.

In the early 20th century, city planners preserved the waterfront for public space and marinas.

The dockside vibe still permeates the St. Pete peninsula.

About a decade ago, the low-rise city started an extreme makeover in housing, arts, entrepreneurship and recreation.

Now ten exhibition spots, including the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts and the Salvador Dali Museum, share the city with a dozen performance venues.

Condo developers, recognizing the St. Pete appeal to retirees and young professionals, are building homes at a furious pace.

A one-bedroom condo downtown can run as low as $150,000 in an older building.

A two-bedroom unit in new construction can go for $500,000 or more.

The city of Tampa is a different case.

Downtown is noted for its high-rise office buildings, but it also boasts the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, a stylish and massive amalgam of five theaters and 20 studios.

Condos have begun springing up on the outskirts of downtown, and planners see thousands of units and riverfront development reshaping the city.

“We’ll have that urban vibe in five to ten years,” says Christine Burdick, president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

If you prefer a house, the early-20th-century homes in chic Hyde Park, south of Tampa, go for about $600,000 for 2,200 square feet.

For the same money, you can buy a recently built, 3,500-square-foot house in the sprawling ‘burbs north, east and west of the city.

The Tampa Bay area seems ready to handle the health-care needs of the coming influx of baby-boomers.

The number of health-care workers per capita is well above the national average, and Tampa’s cutting-edge treatment centers include the top-tier H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Ybor (say “ee-bore”) City began as a cigar-rolling center in the 19th century and is now a collection of great restaurants, clubs and shops.

It’s within a few minutes of downtown Tampa.

The Arts Center in St. Petersburg features engaging works by living artists.

Alfred Baker, a retired U.S. Army colonel, moved to Harrisburg from Berlin, Germany, because his wife didn’t want to give up the four-season climate.

The fact that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn’t tax retirement income didn’t hurt, either.

Low housing prices more than offset the relatively high property taxes.

Baker’s home on five wooded acres in Susquehanna Township, a northern suburb where the median home price is less than $112,000, is only minutes from the golf course, theaters, restaurants and medical care.

Each day an eclectic mix of cigar aficionados gather in the shop to fire up a favorite smoke and burn through the subject du jour.

The region’s strong economy has helped foster a thriving cultural scene that includes the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts — home to the city’s symphony orchestra, led by Tony Award-winner Stuart Malina — and the National Civil War Museum.